One of the other pieces of information contained within the memory crystal was the categorization of formations based on flexibility, mobility, and complexity.
He already knew this information, but it brought new meaning now that it was used to explain the existence of formation treasures.
There are three categories of formations in general. They are temporary and permanent arrays, immobile and mobile arrays, and fixed and changing arrays.
Temporary arrays are arrays whose existence is temporary, while permanent arrays are those whose existence is permanent. An example of these types of arrays is talismans and weapons.
Talismans are temporary arrays that will disappear after one use. The formations engraved on weapons, on the other hand, are permanent. This is why it is generally considered that temporary arrays are easier to make than permanent arrays.
Next are immobile and mobile arrays. The difference lies in whether they can be moved or not during their operation.
The barrier protecting the sect, for example, is definitely an immobile array. Energy-gathering arrays and Mirage arrays are also immobile arrays. They all stay in place and affect a fixed area.
Mobile arrays are arrays found in weapons and talismans and defensive artifacts. They can be easily moved around without damaging them.
It is unclear which is more difficult to create between immobile and mobile arrays, but it is clear that changing arrays that are capable of changing their modes of operation are more difficult to create than arrays that only have one fixed function and inflexible mode of operation.
It is also clear that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to convert an immobile array into a mobile one. This is essentially what the process of creating a formation treasure is.
In fact, no one thought that it was possible to make immobile formations mobile. Anyone outside the sect right now will laugh if they hear someone say that they can convert immobile formations into a mobile form.
It was absurd to think that it was possible. Yet Patriarch Sword Flash thought that it was possible and proved that it was.
As Arthur digested the information in the memory crystal, he smacked his lips and said in agreement, "Yeah. Maybe Patriarch Sword Flash was on to something when he called them idiots."
Patriarch Sword Flash was calling everyone, including him, idiots, but he doesn't count himself as one of those idiots even though he too might have called the Patriarch insane when he first proposed the theory of formation treasures.
But he didn't call the Patriarch insane, and he didn't laugh at the Patriarch. So he doesn't think he should be called an idiot. He especially can't accept the title of an idiot after seeing just how simple and obvious formation treasures are.
Now that it had been proven feasible and done, the process had become obvious. But it still wasn't easy to accomplish.
In fact, it won't be an exaggeration to call formation treasures one of the most difficult types of formation ever. After all, one would need to shrink and condense something that requires a lot of formation flags in order to activate onto a single item.
Changing formations that are capable of changing their modes of operation in order to stump someone from breaking them are still the most difficult type of formation. But formation treasures are a close second.
A clear example of the difficulty of creating formation treasures is the sect ID card. It is so difficult that it can drive cultivators at the third mortal coil mad.
To be fair, the sect ID is an extreme example of formation treasures. It is like condensing all the arrays used to collect data, process data, and display the data as missions in the mission hall into a small item that can be placed in his pocket.
If it is compared to his past life, it can be likened to the process of shrinking down the early generations of computers from the size of entire floors into a small personal computer that one can carry about while simultaneously increasing the processing power of the personal computer while shrinking it.
By common sense, something shouldn't become more powerful the smaller you make it. Yet it had happened.
So he can understand just how difficult formation treasures are to make and why many people thought Patriarch Sword Flash was crazy to think that it was possible.
His understanding of the difficulty of achieving such a thing also made him gain a newfound appreciation of the genius of Patriarch Sword Flash.
This appreciation soon turned into determination to bring the pride of the Patriarch down a notch.
Of course he doesn't plan to fight the Patriarch with his fists and raw power. He only intends to give the Patriarch a loss in the field he is so proud of.
He thought to himself, "Since Patriarch Sword Flash is so good with formations, then I will create something that can destroy his formations. I will use his own genius against him by turning a formation treasure into the bane of his existence."
Other people go mad when they realize just how difficult it is to create something like the sect ID card. But he decided to go the opposite route.
Instead of trying to create something that could match the creativity of the Patriarch, he decided to create something that could destroy the creativity of the Patriarch. He decided to break the sect ID card and other kinds of formations.
To be fair, his idea is not unique. There are many schools of thought that focus on breaking formations. There have also been many achievements in the field.
There are even talismans and large immobile formations that are used to break the operation of formations. These are generally called formation breakers.
It is also the hallmark of an expert to be capable of breaking the formation set up by another person. After all, only with similar or superior mastery can one decipher the intricate workings of a formation and put a stop to it.